Toe-room aerial bucket with removable liner



Diem 3,1968 R. J. WACHT ETAL TOE-ROOM AERIAL BUCKET WITH REMOVABLE LINER Filed me 27, 1967 United States Patent 3,414,079 TOE-ROOM AERIAL BUCKET WITH REMOVABLE LINER Raymond J. Wacht, Overland Park, and George H. Eckels, Prairie Village, Kans., assignors, by mesne assignments, to A. B. Chance Company, Centralia, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed June 27, 1967, Ser. No. 649,267 6 Claims. (Cl. 182-46) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An aerial basket is provided having four major sides, each pair of opposed sides being inclined in the same direction to provide two working stations with normal toe room. The opposed sides diverge as the open top of the basket is approached to facilitate the insertion and removal of a polyethylene liner through the top. The liner, when in place, provides a composite bucket assembly of determinable insulation value having the same amount of toe room as is available when the liner is removed.

If a comfortable working station is to be provided in an aerial bucket, it is requisite that a space be provided at the bottom of the bucket for the workmans toes. Otherwise, due to toe interference, the workman is forced to lean against the side of the bucket and hence work from an unbalanced position.

A prior approach to the toe-room problem was to provide a bucket having a bulge adjacent its bottom for accommodating the workmans toes. Another previous approach was to provide an inwardly extending rail at the top of the bucket, an obvious disadavantage being that the length of the workmans reach was effectively shortened. Neither of these arrangements are satisfactory when it is necessary to insert an insulated liner into the bucket for insulated tool or rubber glove work on energized lines since, in either case, the liner cannot be shaped to provide toe room and still be readily inserted and removed.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide an aerial bucket having a removable liner and which, when the liner is either inserted or removed, provides toe room for the workman.

As a corollary to the foregoing object, it is an important aim of the instant invention to provide an aerial bucket as aforesaid having an outer basket with sloping sides which provide toe-room for the workman and also permit the insertion and removal of an insulating liner through the open top of the basket.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan View illustrating the buckets of the instant invention attached to the upper end of the boom of an articulated aerial lift;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the left-hand bucket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bucket illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the bucket; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical, sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

An aerial support in the form of a boom is illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 1, a pair of aerial buckets 12 and 12a being attached to the upper end of support 10. The left-hand bucket 12 provides a forward working station 14 and a side working station 16, while the right-hand bucket 1201 provides a forward working station 14a and a side working station 16a. The left-hand bucket 12 is shown in detail in FIGS. 2-5, the right-hand bucket 12a being identical in construction to bucket 12 except that its front and rear sides are reversed with respect to bucket 12 in ice order to provide the working station 14a at the front of the bucket rather than at the rear thereof.

Bucket 12 comprises an outer basket 18 of polygonal cross-sectional configuration as is clear in FIG. 3. Basket 18 has an open top 20, a pair of opposed, sloping, laterally facing sides 22 and 24, a pair of opposed, forwardly and rearwardly facing sides 26 and 28, and a rectangular bottom 30 having rounded corners. Sides 22 and 24 are inclined in the same direction with side 22 being disposed at a lesser degree of inclination. Similarly, sides 26 and 28 ar inclined to the rear with the rearward side 28 having the lesser inclination. Thus, the opposed sides of basket 18 diverge as the open top 20 thereof is approached.

Sides 22 and 28 are joined by an elongated, triangular corner section 32, a corner section 34 of like configuration joining sides 24 and 28. A pair of upright ribs 36 on side 28 are provided with mounting holes 38 and provide a means of securing basket 18 to support 10 in the conventional manner.

Each of the sides 22-28 have parallel, upper and lower edges, the upper edges of the four sides and the base of each of the corner sections 32 and 34 providing a continuous, horizontal rim 40 defining the top 20 of basket 18. The lower edges of the four sides merge with bottom 30 at the periphery 42 thereof.

A removable liner 44 is shown inserted within basket 18, liner 44 having a wall structure complemental to the interior surfaces of the sides and corner sections of basket 18. As is clear in FIG. 5, opposed liner walls 46 and 48 are in surface contact with sides 22 and 24 respectively, and opposed liner walls 50 and 52 are in surface contact with sides 26 and 28 respectively. However, a close fit between the liner walls and the sides of the basket is not required.

Basket 18 is composed of a fiber glass reinforced, synthetic resin lay-up. Although this construction imparts structural strength to basket 18 and does provide the basket itself with a limited insulation value, the possibility of a void in the lay-up exists. The presence of a void could cause an electrical puncture of the basket by the establishment of an ionization path through the lay-up. Liner 44, therefore, is composed of a material having a relatively high insulating strength, such as polyethylene or a similar synthetic resin substance, to impart a positive, determinable insulation value to the composite basket and liner assembly.

It is apparent that, by virtue of the sloping sides 24 and 26, normal toe-room is provided for a workman standing on bottom 30, the workmans reach beyond rim 40 being unimpaired. Due to the lesser inclination of the sides 22 and 28, liner 44 is readily inserted or removed as needed. When inserted, the base 54 of liner 44 overlies and is supported by bottom 30. The workman stands on base 54, but the available toe-room in the bucket is in no way restricted by the liner since its walls are in surface contact with the sides and corner sections of basket 18 throughout the vertical expanse of the basket above bottom 30'.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A toe-room aerial bucket comprising:

a basket provided with means for securing the basket to an aerial support,

said basket having an open top, a normally horizontal bottom, and a pair of opposed, sloping sides extending upwardly from said bottom and inclined in the same direction; and

a removable liner of insulating material in said basket,

said sides being spaced apart at said top a distance at least equal to the spacing therebetween at said bottom, whereby to permit insertion of the liner into the basket and removal therefrom through said top.

2. The invention of claim 1:

said sides diverging as said top is approached,

said liner having a pair of opposed walls complemental to said sides and substantially in surface contact with respective sides when the liner is in the basket.

3. The invention of claim 1:

said basket being of polygonal configuration and having a second pair of opposed, sloping sides extending upwardly from said bottom and inclined in a second direction, whereby to provide toe-room working stations at two of the sides of the basket,

the spacing between said second pair of sides at said top being at least equal to the spacing therebetween at said bottom.

4. The invention of claim 3:

each of said pairs of sides diverging as said top is approached,

said liner having two pairs of opposed Walls complemental to said sides and substantially in surface contact with respective sides when the liner is in the basket.

5. The invention of claim 3:

each of said pairs of sides diverging as said top is approached,

all of said sides having parallel, upper and lower edges,

said bottom being of generally rectangular configuration and joined to said lower edges at the periphery of the bottom,

said basket having a pair of corner sections of elongated,

generally triangular configuration,

one of said sections interconnecting the side of the first-mentioned pair and the side of said second pair of lesser inclination,

the other of said sections interconnecting one of said lesser inclined sides and the adjacent side of greater inclination,

said liner having a base overlying said bottom and wall structure complemental to said sides and sections and substantially in surface contact therewith when the liner is in the basket.

6. The invention of claim 1:

said basket being composed of a structurally strong, fiber glass reinforced, synthetic resin substance,

said material being a synthetic resin having a relatively high insulating strength.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,022,854 2/1962 Eckels et a1. 1822 3,087,581 4/1963 Pitman 18246 3,139,948 7/1964 Rorden 18246 3,146,853 9/1964 Eckels l8246 3,159,240 12/1964 Miller 182-46 3,169,602 2/1965 Myers 18246 30 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primaly Examiner. 

